While many of us may approach most public situations with an “I don’t want to talk to anyone” attitude, a new study reveals that Gen Z may be taking things to the next level.


According to Fortune, a recent study conducted by the British restaurant chain Prezzo found that 34 percent of Gen Z-ers “ask other people at the table to speak to waiters on their behalf, because they are too nervous to talk.”


That’s right. Go to a Checkers with a Gen Z person, and there’s about a 1 in 3 chance that they’ll ask you to order their Big Buford for them. But hey, at least you got them to go to the restaurant in the first place — which, the study notes, can also be an issue if they can’t see the menu beforehand.



“Although around half of customers said they’d check the menu before going out for dinner, almost 40 percent of Gen Z customers said they simply wouldn’t go out for dinner if they couldn’t check the menu first,” reads the Fortune article. The study identifies all of these fears as “menu anxiety.”


@butthatsmyopinion Have you ever felt Menu Anxiety? #menuanxiety #anxiety #genZ ? original sound - But That’s My Opinion


The article then speculates about the source of such anxiety. For example, many members of Gen Z spent some of their formative years locked inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may make socialization difficult. Additionally, rapid inflation means that Gen Z members may not be able to afford restaurant eating, making it a little bit more understandable why their attendance may be contingent on seeing the menu.



There’s also a significant chance that this study is B.S. After all, it was performed in the U.K., home to some of the world’s least normal people, so it wouldn’t be surprising if its results didn’t apply to us gun-toting Americans.


But if you’re one of those anxiety-riddled teens, hey, at least there’s DoorDash — just make sure they leave it by the door.